The following article is from Revolver’s April/May 2015 issue.It is available for purchase in our webstore.

We’re om kind of the beginning stages of the finishing stages, if that makes any sense,” says Slayer bassist and vocalist Tom Araya of the legendary thrash band’s forthcoming full-length. “We’re doing the mixing and mastering now, but we still need to sit down and figure out the album title, the album cover, the song titles, and the song list. We’ve recorded 13 songs for it; we’ll probably put ten on there, but who knows? Maybe you’ll get lucky and we’ll put all 13 on there!”

The as-yet-untitled album, the band’s 11th studio LP—and their first for Nuclear Blast—was produced by Terry Date (Pantera, Soundgarden, Korn) over a four-month period at Hollywood’s Henson Studios. “Terry’s been a big part of it,” says Araya. “He’s been the ‘unbiased ears,’ which is what you really want when you’re working with someone, and I think he got some really great performances out of us. It was a pleasure working with him.”

The tracks for the album were primarily recorded by Araya, guitarist Kerry King and drummer Paul Bostaph, the latter of whom rejoined the band in 2013. It’s the first album Slayer has made primarily without the help of guitarist and co-founder Jeff Hanneman—who died of alcohol-related cirrhosis of the liver in 2013—and Araya says it was difficult to get used to the absence of his longtime colleague.

“Ever since his passing, it’s been like that—just odd and strange, because he’s never gonna be there again, you know?” he says, with a noticeable sadness in his voice. “Even when we were doing stuff without him while he was still alive, that felt strange. Yeah, I missed him during the process. But the way things turned out, I think he was definitely a part of it, even if he wasn’t there physically.”

Hanneman is physically present on one unnamed track, however. “The whole process of this album started three years ago, when Jeff was still a part of it,” says Araya. “There is one track on there that we recorded with him, that he did play on, which was completely done except we hadn’t finalized the vocals for it. So we were fortunate to have something that he had participated in.”

Exodus guitarist Gary Holt, who filled in on tour for Hanneman during his illness and after his untimely death, was invited to record solos for many of the tracks. “Kerry asked Gary to come in, and he shredded some leads on quite a few songs,” Araya recalls. “He came down and damaged his wrist. I’m serious! Well, he didn’t damage it, but his wrist was pretty sore—that’s what he claimed,” he laughs. “Gary gave it all—and he was a man about it, too!”

Lyrically, Araya says the album will cover “the usual topics—conflict, confrontation, religion. It’s all about the social ills that dominate humankind. It’s a Slayer record, you know what I mean?” he laughs. “It’s gonna be a really, really powerful record, so let everybody know!” DAN EPSTEIN

Today, RevolverMag.com presents two exclusive new interview videos featuring Slayer guitarist Kerry King and drummer Paul Bostaph. In the top clip, King discusses material left behind by co-founding guitarist Jeff Hanneman, who died in May. King implies he’d like to rework the material and include it on Slayer’s next studio album.

“If we’re gonna release things that Jeff wrote — I’ve seen other bands do it in the past, and it’s generally not good,” King says in the video. “I don’t want it to be perceived like that. If we’re gonna put out Jeff’s last contributions in Slayer, if it ain’t awesome, you’re not gonna hear it.”

In the bottom clip, the band discuss their next album and their current “old school” set list, which includes tracks from 1983′s Show No Mercy, 1985′s Hell Awaits, 1986′s Reign In Blood, 1988′s South of Heaven and more.

“We’re having such a great time rehearsing this old-school set, we’ve decided to play it on every one of our upcoming tour dates,” King said in a previous statement.

“The final set list is still coming together,” said Tom Araya in the same release from the band. “But we’re going to give the fans what amounts to decades of aggression. It’s going to be a great night of music and moshing for everyone.” You can check out the band’s remaining dates below!

“There are so many different fuckers up here jamming, it could be a clusterfuck,” says a very sweaty Philip Anselmo, pointing at the audience in an accusatory fashion after he and a pantheon of metal giants finish playing a hyper-charged rendition of Pantera’s “Mouth for War” at the Metal Masters 4 concert in New York City this past Friday night, September 7.

“But guess what?” He assumes a gravely, almost whispered tone to show his seriousness. “It ain’t.”

He looks to his left at Slayer guitarist Kerry King and then to his right at Anthrax bassist Frank Bello and assumes his alpha-male growl, as if we ever doubted him: “It’s fun!”

For the rest of the night, and in the hours leading up to this performance, which was presented by Samson, Zoom, Hartke, Guitar Center and Revolver magazine, positivity seems to emanate from the stage toward the 500 or so lucky metalheads who were able to get into the sold-out show at NYC’s Gramercy Theatre.

As with the three previous Metal Masters concerts, a number of luminary musicians who play with metal bands like Slayer, Anthrax and Exodus have joined together, alongside Down and Pantera’s Anselmo and bass virtuoso Billy Sheehan, to show off their skills and maybe teach something in a clinic setting followed by a no-holds-barred jam of some of their greatest hits.

Although some of the musicians got together for an L.A.-based Metal Masters show in April, which boasted a special appearance by Black Sabbath’s Geezer Butler, they seem almost like their own band — a metal dream — on Friday.

As artists like Anthrax’s Scott Ian seamlessly switch off places with others, like Exodus’ Gary Holt, on a stage bearing a sculpted wall of amps, Anselmo’s proclamation rings true: A clusterfuck it ain’t.

The fun times began when Slayer drummer-slash-Tasmanian-Devil Dave Lombardo played a dimly lit set with his echoey avant-garde punk trio, Philm. Considering part of the night is meant to show off each musician’s instrumental prowess — the evening is presented by musical instrument companies Hartke, Samson and Zoom — Lombardo situated his kit with a sideways view so gawkers could parse every polyrhythmic paradiddle.

Mouthpiece Gerry Nestler growled and shouted as he wrung bluesy bends and rumbly distorto riffs from his guitar and bassist Pancho Tomaselli whoodled and wheedled up and down his four strings, the pair only taking a break to help the audience cheer on, “Dave! Dave! Dave!” (The pair should deserve their own chant, though, for being able to keep up with the man who does this on a regular basis.)

After that performance, the clinic portion of the evening began with a rousing lesson/lecture/standup routine/pep rally by a Motörhead-shirt-wearing Bello, who promised early on, “You guys are gonna get fucked up tonight. I’m not even kidding. Some of the songs that are gonna be played on this stage, you haven’t heard in a long fucking time.”

He’d hold true to that oath hours later, but for now he recants stories of Geezer Butler teaching him how to correctly play Black Sabbath’s “Neon Knights” at the L.A. Metal Masters show, the impact deceased Metallica bassist (and Bello’s friend) Cliff Burton had on him and how much he enjoys playing with Anselmo. And, of course, he rumbled out some impressive notage on his bass, even interpolating Burton’s classic wah-wah-infused “Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth)” solo.

The hulking Sheehan followed him and whipped out some jaw-dropping feats of fingertapping, but the most impressive part of his set occurred when Anselmo, Bello and Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante joined him for a rendition of Van Halen’s “Hot for Teacher.” Playing his bass, Sheehan nailed every note Eddie played on the original while Frankie Lee Roth and Philly Hagar handled the vocal duties. The performance was bizarre and exciting if not for the fact that only Benante was handling the role he’s best known for.

The rough position of following this up went to Scott Ian, who had to deal with his set being interrupted by a fire alarm. (“Too much metal,” he joked.) When order was restored, he led a sort of “Devil Went Down to Georgia”-type duel where he would play the rhythm-guitar parts to Anthrax classics and then give his instrument to a member of the audience to replicate. The concertgoers in question (perhaps to Ian’s chagrin?) all did respectable jobs of matching his riffing on songs like “Madhouse,” “Indians” and “Imitation of Life.” But that’s what you get for challenging a room likely full of musicians.

His bandmate Benante followed his set by playing some rattling drum solos, during which Lombardo came out to duel with him. They traversed a number of famous patterns, including Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way” — playing an estimated 39 billion beats between them — until Benante says, “I think we’re done. There’s only so much double bass you can do … we’ve met our quota.” And with that, the audience prepped for the main event, which Benante joked would consist of “Smiths and Journey tunes.”

The concert portion of the evening begins with an ensemble of Kerry King, Scott Ian, Billy Sheehan and Charlie Benante playing Anthrax’s “Room for One More,” as Bello takes a rare turn at vocals, handling the part originally sung by John Bush. It’s just a sampling of the permutations of musicians who mount the stage over the course of the next 11 songs. Next up, King, Holt and Anselmo — who has dressed for the occasion in a shirt whose back reads “Classic Not Classy” — comes out to sing “Mouth for War.”

As a sea of camera phones make waves in the audience, he exclaims, “Getting all of us together like this, it’s fuckin’ awesome … Since we’re in New York, I want to see that fuckin’ old-school energy out there.” And the audience obliges, moshing and running into each other like atoms in a nuclear fission experiment.

The evening progresses by playing one hit after another, culled from respective oeuvres of each band represented. Anselmo attempts songs he hasn’t sung since Pantera’s final tour (“5 Minutes Alone,” “Goddamn Electric”), and the group the odd Slayer classic (“War Ensemble”), an Exodus cut (“Strike of the Beast”) and a trio of songs by Scott Ian and Charlie Benante’s hardcore-metal crossover group Stormtroopers of Death. “Cro-mags up next,” Anselmo jokes, referring to the NYHC powerhouse group, between S.O.D. songs. Kidding aside, the way that band merged hardcore and metal meant a lot to the singer, who says, without them “I’d be out of a fuckin’ job.”

As with the previous installments of Metal Masters, the crowd goes ape to hear Anselmo sing Pantera classics like “Fucking Hostile” and “A New Level” again, but it’s just as impressive to hear him take on the work of a singer like Tom Araya’s more high-pitched screams on Slayer canon like “Angel of Death” and the indefatigable “Raining Blood.” His husky growl fits right in. Meanwhile, Kerry King nimbly assails each note Dimebag plays in the Pantera classics.

Overall, it’s a scene of peers being fans and vice-versa. Before playing one song, Anselmo tells the crowd, “I grew up with hippie parents, and they would listen to Hendrix, Janis Joplin, all that shit. And ‘Stairway to Heaven’ was the pinnacle. Well, this was my ‘Stairway’ when I was 15.”

Then the group played “Chemical Warfare.” Later, Anselmo says, “I’m just a music fan. Don’t judge me any other way.” The same could probably be said of everyone in the room, who cheer as the artists who performed tonight — three guitarists, two bassists, two drummers and one singer — plays Pantera’s hasty hardcore-thrash crossover salvo “Fucking Hostile.”

It’s a communal experience, and compared to the four Metal Masters shows so far — including the second one where Anselmo made an unannounced surprise appearance — it’s the best organized, having more of a concert feel. The musicians should take note, though: Part of the fun of it all is the shambolic spontaneity that comes from maybe not being so well rehearsed. If they refine their playing any more next time, it might turn into (gasp) a band. But that wouldn’t be a bad thing either.

]]>http://www.revolvermag.com/news/video-slayers-kerry-king-and-dave-lombardo-talk-metal-masters-4.html/feed1Slayer Guitarist Kerry King Stars in Jägermeister’s First-Ever Television Campaignhttp://www.revolvermag.com/news/slayer-guitarist-kerry-king-stars-in-jagermeisters-first-ever-television-campaign.html
http://www.revolvermag.com/news/slayer-guitarist-kerry-king-stars-in-jagermeisters-first-ever-television-campaign.html#commentsThu, 03 May 2012 15:41:24 +0000http://www.revolvermag.com/?p=32943It’s no secret that Slayer guitarist Kerry King loves Jägermeister. Now he’s taken that love to the screen, starring in Jäger’s first-ever TV commercial. Check it out below, and let us know what you think in the comments.

…And a behind-the-scenes interview with King.

]]>http://www.revolvermag.com/news/slayer-guitarist-kerry-king-stars-in-jagermeisters-first-ever-television-campaign.html/feed1Members of Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax, and Adrenaline Mob to Present Metal Masters 3 Clinic in Aprilhttp://www.revolvermag.com/news/members-of-slayer-megadeth-anthrax-and-adrenaline-mob-to-present-metal-masters-3-clinic-in-april.html
http://www.revolvermag.com/news/members-of-slayer-megadeth-anthrax-and-adrenaline-mob-to-present-metal-masters-3-clinic-in-april.html#commentsWed, 29 Feb 2012 18:00:30 +0000http://www.revolvermag.com/?p=32074Samson, Hartke, Zoom, and Best Buy are pleased to announce the third installment of Samson’s “Metal Masters” series of instrument clinics, which will be held on Thursday, April 12, at the Key Club on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood, CA. Doors will open at 7:00pm.

Having surprised the audience at Metal Master 2 in New York City with surprise appearances by Philip Anselmo (Pantera / Down) and Scott Ian (Anthrax), as well as a full Anthrax performance, Charlie Benante and Frank Bello (Anthrax), David Ellefson (Megadeth), Mike Portnoy (ex–Dream Theater/Adrenaline Mob), Kerry King and now Dave Lombardo (both of Slayer) are back on the West Coast with an exclusive metal experience that’s bigger than ever. Artists will perform both individually and collectively, demonstrating their personal techniques and how they all come together to create the music that millions bang their heads to every day.

“We’re extremely excited to be bringing the Metal Masters series back to the West Coast where it originated,” says Mark Menghi, Samson’s Director of Marketing. “And with the artists we have participating and the surprises we have planned, Metal Masters 3 is going to be the best one yet.”

Tickets are available for $20 (first come, first served) at the Key Club’s box office, located at 9039 Sunset Boulevard, or via www.keyclub.com. With door giveaways and surprise guests, all should purchase their tickets early for this All Ages event to witness the return of the Metal Masters.

]]>http://www.revolvermag.com/news/members-of-slayer-megadeth-anthrax-and-adrenaline-mob-to-present-metal-masters-3-clinic-in-april.html/feed1Video: Corey Taylor, Kerry King, Scott Ian, and More on the Red Carpet at Guitar World’s Rock & Roll Roast of Zakk Wyldehttp://www.revolvermag.com/news/video-corey-taylor-kerry-king-scott-ian-and-more-on-the-red-carpet-at-guitar-worlds-rock-roll-roast-of-zakk-wylde.html
http://www.revolvermag.com/news/video-corey-taylor-kerry-king-scott-ian-and-more-on-the-red-carpet-at-guitar-worlds-rock-roll-roast-of-zakk-wylde.html#commentsFri, 27 Jan 2012 22:53:26 +0000http://www.revolvermag.com/?p=31747Revolver‘s sister publication, Guitar World, held its inauguralRock & Roll Roast on January 19 at the Grove in Anaheim, CA. The first guest to make it to the hot seat? Black Label Society frontman and former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Zakk Wylde! Roastmaster Sharon Osbourne and other metal-loving luminaries such as Chris Jericho, Anthrax’s Scott Ian, Slipknot’s Corey Taylor, as well as comedy and roast veterans Jim Norton, Brian Posehn, and Jim Florentine ripped into Wylde. Carla Harvey of Revolver faves the Butcher Babies was there on the Red Carpet beforehand to get the lowdown on all the action.

]]>http://www.revolvermag.com/news/video-corey-taylor-kerry-king-scott-ian-and-more-on-the-red-carpet-at-guitar-worlds-rock-roll-roast-of-zakk-wylde.html/feed5Photos: Anthrax, Testament, and Death Angel, Live in Anaheim, California, Plus Slayer’s Kerry King!http://www.revolvermag.com/news/photos-anthrax-testament-and-death-angel-live-in-anaheim-california-plus-slayers-kerry-king.html
http://www.revolvermag.com/news/photos-anthrax-testament-and-death-angel-live-in-anaheim-california-plus-slayers-kerry-king.html#commentsWed, 25 Jan 2012 17:51:45 +0000http://www.revolvermag.com/?p=31706Thrash legends Anthrax, Testament, and Death Angel are currently on tour together, and on Monday, they performed at Anaheim, California’s House of Blues. Photographer Stephanie Cabral was there to capture the mayhem, including a surprise appearance by Slayer’s Kerry King backstage, which you can see below. Also, be sure to check out the premiere of Anthrax’s video for “The Devil You Know” right here.
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]]>http://www.revolvermag.com/news/photos-anthrax-testament-and-death-angel-live-in-anaheim-california-plus-slayers-kerry-king.html/feed0The Year in Live Photoshttp://www.revolvermag.com/news/the-year-in-live-photos.html
http://www.revolvermag.com/news/the-year-in-live-photos.html#commentsThu, 22 Dec 2011 21:40:44 +0000http://www.revolvermag.com/?p=30598As 2012 draws closer, we’re celebrating the things that have made this year great. One that stands out is all of the great concerts that took place all over the world in 2011. We’ve been posting photos from events such as the Big Four, the Revolver Golden Gods, the Wacken Festival, and many other notable concerts throughout the year right here on Revolvermag.com. Now we’re celebrating the best of the best: 75 photos of bands ranging from Metallica at the Big Four to Avenged Sevenfold’s jam with Hellyeah and Pantera’s Vinnie Paul at the Revolver Golden Gods. We can only hope next year has as many amazing moments.

Let’s also take this moment to recognize the photographers, credited below each photo, who risk life and lens to go in the pit and capture the mayhem as it happens. For those about to shoot, we salute you!